Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development (AADSAD)

Job Summary

The Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development is responsible for creating and overseeing a student-athlete development department that equitably serves all 22 athletic programs and 450+ student-athletes. This department will house a transformative program focused on the development of student-athletes by providing personal and professional experiences beyond their sport. Reporting to the Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Wellness and Leader Development, the Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development will directly organize and provide a diverse array of programming, seminars, classes and community service opportunities for student-athletes. The primary goal is student-athlete development in the areas of resume building, hands-on experience, networking connections, and interview skills, which are necessities upon degree completion. The AADSAD will develop and maintain relationships with partnering companies seeking interns, job shadowing/opportunities, and connections with student-athletes. The curriculum within Beyond Sparta encompasses community engagement programming, which fosters an understanding of the local and global community building through a culture of volunteerism. In addition, the curriculum also includes an on-campus engagement program, connecting our vibrant campus community with our student-athletes. The AADSAD will partner with Student-Athlete Success Services and on-campus entities to support campus programming and provide skilled student-athletes as interns and university ambassadors. The AADSAD will develop, implement, and maintain highly engaging signature programs with a curriculum that promotes leadership, career development and volunteerism at an advanced level.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee the strategic direction, vision and implementation of the Student-Athlete Development Program, Beyond Sparta, which is focused on empowering, engaging and preparing student-athletes for life after the game.
• Oversee the equitable implementation of Beyond Sparta for all student-athletes.
• Directly mentor all student-athletes to increase their opportunities upon graduation through enrichment provided by Beyond Sparta.
• Partner with One Spartan Nation to cultivate donor engagement and relationships for Student-Athlete Development initiatives including participation in fundraising events, donor relations and stewardship.
• Plan and oversee internal student-athlete (SAAC) events i.e. Welcome Back event, collection drives, beach clean-up, end of the year party etc.
• Establish, build and foster relationships between campus entities and the student-athletes population, foster and encourage involvement in the campus community.
• Develop an engagement strategy for current and former student-athletes, alumni, and supporters that will encourage the use of the communication platform.
• Implement changes accordingly to maintain competitiveness among other programs.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to promote and foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and support for student-athletes
• Ability to work well collaboratively, while also being direct in a professional manner
• Knowledgeable in industry standards and trends related to student-athletes
• Ability to supervise, monitor and train staff in oversight areas
• Demonstrated management experience and skills in the development, implementation and evaluation of support programs
• Demonstrated knowledge of using technology in various aspects affecting student-athlete development
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals
• Ability to accurately oversee procedures related to student-athlete development
• Ability to communicate with constituents in a professional and respectful manner
• Ability to represent the SJSU Department of Athletics with professional and diplomatic decorum
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, customers, faculty, students and the general public
• Ability to create meaningful opportunities for community engagement and manage all community outreach/engagement requests
• Ability to maintain the Beyond Sparta application/student-development software, the content that it holds, and the impact it has on career development opportunities, communication, and networking
• Knowledge of and proficiency in CSU, University, NCAA, and Mountain West Conference/conference affiliate rules and regulations

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Three years progressive experience in program devel